India's SA tour may get green signal

London, Oct 20, 2013, PTI:

India’s much-anticipated tour of South Africa is all set to go ahead in December with BCCI President N Srinivasan and his CSA counterpart Chris Nenzani agreeing “in principle” for the series during discussions on the sidelines of the ICC Board meeting.

“The BCCI president N Srinivasan and his CSA counterpart Chris Nenzani have in principle agreed for India to play three ODIs, a warm-up game and two Tests in South Africa in December,” ESPNcricinfo reported.

The series has already been curtailed after BCCI took exception to the CSA “unilateral” announcement of the itinerary in July. CSA, desperate to cut down the financial loss that it would incur if the series does not go through, has offered to send its CEO Haroon Lorgat on long leave due to the BCCI’s differences with him. The series will be formalised when the BCCI’s WC meets in Chennai on October 26.

Meanwhile, BCCI is expected to take up the issue of former ICC legal Head and CSA advisor David Becker criticising BCCI’s stand on the FTP. The BCCI reportedly suspects Becker of acting at the behest of Lorgat, a former CEO of the ICC. Becker has, however, denied this. “For the avoidance of any doubt, Mr Lorgat had nothing to do with my comments. They were my own personal views and neither he nor anyone else at CSA had anything to do with them,” Becker said.